Historic Bridges
94,376 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.
Bridges Built Before 1951
The United States has 94,376 bridges built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.
| Bridge | State | Condition | Year Built | Age (Years) | ADT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEER CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 150 |
| MILL CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 150 |
| SUGAR CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1910 | 116 | — |
| FLATROCK RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 150 |
| NORTH FORK LEWIS CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 150 |
| SOUTH FORK LEWIS CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 100 |
| SOUTH FORK LEWIS CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 100 |
| BRANCH OF HAW CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 200 |
| WILLOW POND DITCH | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 100 |
| BRANCH OF MARIA CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 110 |
| BIG BRANCH CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 110 |
| UPPER INDIAN CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 175 |
| PIGEON CREEK | Indiana | Good | 1910 | 116 | 3,470 |
| NORTON Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 117 |
| NORTON Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 117 |
| Branch of SPLUNGE CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 188 |
| West Fork BUSSERON CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 125 |
| Redwood Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 30 |
| RUSH CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 112 |
| S FK LOST RIVER | Indiana | Good | 1910 | 116 | 112 |
| ELKHORN CREEK | Indiana | Good | 1910 | 116 | 1,097 |
| SALAMONIE RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 350 |
| MIDDLE FORK CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 5 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 104 |
| KEMP CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 20 |
| LIME CR | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 16 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 21 |
| FLOOD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 26 |
| SMALL STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 21 |
| STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 73 |
| CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 35 |
| TRIB OF WELDON RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 5 |
| STREAM | Iowa | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 15 |
| HAWKEYE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 11 |
| BRUSHY CK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 60 |
| SMALL | Iowa | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 120 |
| OTTER CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 26 |
| TOM CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 29 |
| BRUSH CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 41 |
| BRANCH N SKUNK RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 82 |
| SALT CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 15 |
| WOLF CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 20 |
| HONEY CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 11 |
| W F 102 RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 15 |
| CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 39 |
| RALSTON CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 2,487 |
| RALSTON CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 754 |
| SPRING CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1910 | 116 | 5 |
| SPRING CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 5 |
| TRIB. TO NEOSHO RIVER | Kansas | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 1,922 |
Historic Bridges by State
States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.
| State | Historic Bridges | Oldest Year | Avg Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 8,191 | 1900 | 89 yrs |
| Pennsylvania | 6,062 | 1697 | 99 yrs |
| Kansas | 5,656 | 1870 | 93 yrs |
| Oklahoma | 5,554 | 1900 | 89 yrs |
| Missouri | 4,522 | 1874 | 96 yrs |
| California | 4,414 | 1860 | 91 yrs |
| New York | 3,831 | 1800 | 96 yrs |
| Ohio | 3,386 | 1828 | 101 yrs |
| Nebraska | 3,270 | 1888 | 91 yrs |
| Illinois | 3,065 | 1863 | 99 yrs |
| Iowa | 3,036 | 1876 | 98 yrs |
| Tennessee | 2,857 | 1841 | 89 yrs |
| Alabama | 2,703 | 1800 | 90 yrs |
| Indiana | 2,682 | 1838 | 98 yrs |
| Virginia | 2,504 | 1820 | 92 yrs |
| Kentucky | 2,241 | 1835 | 89 yrs |
| Arkansas | 1,932 | 1860 | 89 yrs |
| Georgia | 1,832 | 1872 | 88 yrs |
| New Jersey | 1,814 | 1792 | 99 yrs |
| Michigan | 1,528 | 1867 | 94 yrs |
| Massachusetts | 1,481 | 1764 | 107 yrs |
| Wisconsin | 1,333 | 1887 | 92 yrs |
| South Carolina | 1,282 | 1910 | 89 yrs |
| West Virginia | 1,245 | 1817 | 96 yrs |
| North Carolina | 1,203 | 1900 | 89 yrs |
| Arizona | 1,189 | 1900 | 90 yrs |
| Washington | 1,188 | 1900 | 92 yrs |
| South Dakota | 1,118 | 1900 | 92 yrs |
| Minnesota | 1,035 | 1884 | 94 yrs |
| Vermont | 987 | 1824 | 99 yrs |
| Maryland | 968 | 1809 | 99 yrs |
| Mississippi | 908 | 1900 | 87 yrs |
| Connecticut | 860 | 1832 | 96 yrs |
| Colorado | 857 | 1887 | 89 yrs |
| Oregon | 790 | 1899 | 92 yrs |
| New Mexico | 719 | 1908 | 87 yrs |
| New Hampshire | 716 | 1832 | 97 yrs |
| Florida | 707 | 1900 | 87 yrs |
| North Dakota | 685 | 1885 | 91 yrs |
| Montana | 662 | 1881 | 90 yrs |
| Maine | 630 | 1854 | 92 yrs |
| Louisiana | 614 | 1908 | 87 yrs |
| Puerto Rico | 463 | 1842 | 95 yrs |
| Hawaii | 386 | 1900 | 95 yrs |
| Idaho | 354 | 1908 | 90 yrs |
| Utah | 217 | 1905 | 88 yrs |
| Wyoming | 191 | 1908 | 88 yrs |
| Rhode Island | 179 | 1810 | 107 yrs |
| Delaware | 122 | 1839 | 99 yrs |
| Nevada | 89 | 1900 | 89 yrs |
| District of Columbia | 81 | 1831 | 94 yrs |
| Alaska | 37 | 1910 | 86 yrs |
About Historic Bridge Data
Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.